Fastening device for furniture.



No. 726,732. PATENTED APR. 28, 19 3.

JE. NELSON. I FASTENING DEVICE FOR FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 31, 1902.

' A TTORNE rs.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. NELSON,

PATENT @FFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,732, dated April 28, 1903. Application filed December 31, 1902. Serial No. 137,340. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn,

in the county ofKings and State otNew York,

niers, bureaus, and the like to the top slab or board of the body of the article in such manner that the locking device will be invisible from the front or sides of the article and may be expeditiously brought into and out of action.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the device that it will be simple, durable, and economic and which in operation will firmly hold the superstructure to the base and admit of the superstructure being readily rem oved from the base when desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,- and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the top body-section of an article of furniture and a portion of the-frameadapted for attachment to the upper portion of the body, together with a rear perspective view of the fastening. device. Fig.2 is a vertical section through the parts shown in Fig.1, the section through the device being taken practically or ithe line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the fastening device shown in locking position and a section through the surrounding material, the section being taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig'. 4 is a vertical section through the improved locking device" and the parts to which itis applied, illustrating the devicein locking position and in dotted lines in releasing position, the device shown in Fig. 4 being a slight departure'i n construction from the device shown in Fig. '2; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the device constructed as is shown in Fig. 4 and a section through the parts to which it is attached, the

section being taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; andFig. 6 is a vertical section through another form of the device and the parts to which it is attached, the device being also shown in locked position.

A represents the top of an article of furniture; B, a standard or upright supported by the top and adapted to hold a mirror or ornamental brackets, shelves, and the like.

B represents the back of the article of f urniture, B one of its sides, and B one of the cross-pieces extending from side to side of the body of the article at the back and by which the top A is more or less supported. This cross-piece B is provided with one or more transverse slots l0,which extend out through the back, the number of slots or recesses employed corresponding to the number of fastening devices which may be necessary to firmly secure the upright B to the top A of the article, and in the said back B a corresponding number of vertical recesses or slots 11 is produced, connecting with the outer end portions of the transverse slots or recesses10 in the supporting bars or strips B Over each recess 10 a vertical aperture 12 is produced in the top A,'adjacent to the rear end edge of the said top, and theupright B is located over these Vertical apertures 12. "One or morescrews 14 are secured in the bottom portion of the upright B, the number of screws corresponding to the number of apertures 12, and'these screws extend below the standard B a sufficient distance to pass through the apertures 12 of the topAand below the under face of the said top, said screws 14 terminating at their lower ends in heads 13pof any suitable shape. when the top A is of a soft wood, a wear-plate 15 is employed overeach recess 10 in the supporting-bars B .and these wear-plates 15 extend out to the rear edge of the top and are secured to the bottom portionof the top A by screws 16 or 'like fastening devices. Each wear-plate 15 is provided with'a'n opening 17, corresponding-in diameter and registering withthe apertures 12in the topA, and each'wear-plate 15 near its inner end is provided with two transversely-alining downwardly-extending headed projections 18, which projections may be in the form of screws, as illustrated.

In connection with each wear-plate 15, above described, a locking-plate 19 is com ployed, placed in engagement with the under faces of the wear-plates 15, as is shown in Fig. 2. Each locking-plate 19 is adapted to have horizontal movement to and from the back B of the article of furniture in a recess 10 of the supporting-bar B". Each lockingplate 19 is provided with two longitudinal and transversely-opposing slots 20, through which the projections 18 from the wear-plates extend downward, the heads of the said projections having bearing upon the under faces of the locking-plates 19 at the marginal portions of the slots 20. Each locking-plate 19 is further provided near its rear end with a keyhole-slot 21, the larger portion of each keyhole-slot 21 being of sufficient diameter to readily receive the head 13 of the screw 14; but when the shank of the screw onters the contracted portion of a slot 21 in a locking-plate the head 13 of the screw has hearing against the under face of the said locking-plate at the edges of the contracted portions of said keyhole-slots, as is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The locking-plates 19 extend practically to the outer face of the back B of the article and terminate at such point in knuckles 22, receiving a suitable pintle 23, upon which pintle and between said knuckles the head 24: of a lever 25 is pivoted. The head 24 of the lever 25 is preferably provided with a straight upper surface and a nose projectinginwardly from the said surface, so as to give as large an area to the upper portion of the head 24: as is possible, and when a lever 25 is pressed downward it enters a slot 11 in the back B,s0 that the outer surface of the lever will be flush with the outer surface of the back B, or practically so, and when a lever 25 is in this position, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper surface of its head 24;, which may be termed a camsurface, will have pressing and locking engagement with the wear-plate 15 above it, near the rear end of said plate, and will thus hold the locking-plate 19 with which the lever is connected in locking engagement.

In practice before the levers 25 are carried to their locking position the locking-plates 19 are pushed inward, so as to bring the pro jections 18 from the wear-plates 15 at the inner ends of the slots 20 in the locking-plates and the lower portions of the screws 14 in the contracted members of the keyhole-slots 21. When this position of the parts has been secured, the levers are forced downward, and their heads 24 are brought in compressing and locking engagement with the said wear-plates 15, thus firmly holding the standard B in engagement with the top A of the article of furniture. When it is desirable to remove the standard B, it is simply necessary to carry the levers 25 upward, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:, and to draw the said levers outward, thus carrying the locking-plates 19 outward also, bringing the enlarged sections of the keyhole-slots 21 in registry with the heads 13 of the screws 14, whereupon the standard B may be lifted upward, taking the screws 14: with it.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated a slight deviation from the construction shown in Fig. 2, wherein the wear-plate 15 is provided with a central slot 27 at its inner end and is further provided with downwardly-extending guideways 28 at its rear side edges; otherwise the wear-plate 15 is of the same construction as the wear-plate heretofore described. The locking-plate 19 which corresponds to the locking-plate 19, heretofore described, is of the same construction, except that the slots 20 are omitted and the said locking-plate at its inner end is provided with an upwardly-extending tongue 26,which travels in the slot 27 of the wear-plate, and the side edges of the locking-plate under this latter construction slide in the guides 28, above referred to.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another departure in the construction of the device,wherein the device is especially adapted for use in connection with hard wood. Under the construction shown in Fig. 6 the wear-plates 15 and 15 are omitted and the sliding plate 29 is shown as provided with longitudinal slots 30 near its rear or inner end to receive guidestuds 3l,which extend down from the top portion A of the body of the article of furniture. The plate 29 is also provided with a keyholeslot 32 near its outer or rear end corresponding to the keyhole-slots 21 in the lockingplates 19 and 19; but the locking-plate 29 at its rear end is provided with a downwardly dipped or curved member 33, which extends to the back portion 13 of the article of furniture into the recess 11 in the said back portion, and a lever 34, corresponding to the lever 25, heretofore described, is pivoted, by means of a suitable pintle 35, at the rear portion of the dipped or curved section 33 of the said locking-plate 29. This lever in locking position is adapted to enter the recess 11, as has been described with reference to the lever 25; but the lever 34= extends beyond its pivot 35 and at its top is provided with projections 35 from its sides, horizontally disposed, and upon each of said projections a roller 36 is mounted to turn, and when the lever 3% is in locked position these rollers 36 engage directly with the under face of the top portion A of the body of the article of furniture, and when the said lever 3a is in locked position a spur 37, extending from the inner edge of the lever just below its pivot, engages with the inner portion of the depressed or curved section 33 of the locking-plate 29, and by these means the inward movement of the lever 34 is limited.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fastening device for furniture, a sliding plate having an opening to receive a member of an article to be locked, said plate being adapted to be slid into loose engagement with said member, guides for the said plate, and a locking lever carried by the plate, and adapted to lock the same in engagement with said member, substantially as described.

2. In a fastening device for" furniture, a sliding plate having a keyhole-slot to receive a member of an article to be locked, said plate being adapted to be slid manually into loose engagement with said member, guides for the plate, and a locking-lever carried by one end of the plate, and moving bodilytherewith, said lever having an upper clamping-face, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a fastening device for furniture, a sliding plate having a keyhole-slot to receive a headed member of an article to be locked, guides for the plate, and a lever mounted to swing at the outer end of the plate, provided with a head-section adapted in one position of the lever for engagement with a surface between the locking-plate and the article to be secured in position, whereby the sliding plate will be held in binding engagement with the headed member, as set forth.

4. In a fastening device for furniture, the combination with a top portion of abody-section having an aperture therein, the back of the body-section having a recess therein, a superstructure adapted to rest upon the top portion of the body, and a pendent member from the superstructure having an enlargement at its lower end, which pendent member is adapted to extend through the aperture in the top portion of the body-section, of a locking-plate mounted to slide upon the under face of the said top body portion of the article and provided with a keyhole-slot to receive said pendent member, guides for the locking-plate, a lever mounted to swing at each end of the locking-plate, and a head for the lever, which when the body of the lever is in the recess of the back portion of the body has compressing relation with respect to the top portion of the body, and serves to draw the superstructure downward and lock the same to the top portion of thebody, as specified.

5. In a fastening device for furniture, a sliding plate having a keyhole-slot to receive a member of an article to be locked, said plate being mounted to slide longitudinally back and forth upon a surface between the locking-plate and the article to be secured in position; guides for the plate; and a swinging lever carried by said plate at the outer end thereof, said lever being provided'wi-th a head-section, adapted in one position of the plate to be brought into engagement with said surface, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing. witnesses.

WILLIAM E.NELSON. Witnesses:

ALVAH WILTSEY, J. A. LATIMER. 

